Robin's smile deepened as she took in the sight of the ship's spacious, well-lit cabins.
At the very least, they now had private quarters—and a place to bathe.
Don himself was quite pleased with the ship as well.
Sailing the seas, even with his body's adaptability, comfort was still a luxury worth having.
Though… could the wood of Treasure Tree Adam withstand the power of Issho's Devil Fruit?
As that thought crossed his mind, Don turned toward the bow.
Tom's apprentice and a few shipwrights were hard at work installing a massive rose-shaped ram, sneaking glances in his direction as they worked.
After a moment's thought, Don raised his hand and gestured for one of them to come over.
The man commanding the installation—Franky—hurried across the deck.
"Mr. Don," Franky greeted as he approached.
"If I want to add a training room, but make it so that the force it bears is distributed across the entire ship… how long would that take?" Don asked directly.
"A training room, huh?" Franky didn't look surprised. After thinking for a moment, he replied,
"It's not easy to distribute that kind of force evenly through the ship. But when we built her, we considered that sort of thing. Treasure Tree Adam's material can handle quite a lot—it'll be fine."
"I see." Don nodded slightly.
"But if you're adding it now, it won't take long. Aside from the main hull, most of the structure can be replaced quickly."
Don blinked. "You've gone modular now?"
Franky grinned.
"Then let's add it—make sure it's solid enough," Don said.
"Got it! I'll tell the old man right away!"
Franky nodded, then slid down along the ship's hull to get started.
"You're really putting in the effort," Robin said softly, her gaze following him. "You could afford to rest a little while we're at sea."
Her tone carried a touch of admiration.
Don's strength clearly hadn't come by chance.
"Hm?" Don looked back at her.
"It's mostly for you to use," he said. "As for me, I'll train when we make landfall. If Issho uses his power on the ship, it won't be much help to me unless we risk damaging the hull."
Robin's expression shifted through several emotions in the span of a few seconds.
She had resolved to get stronger—but hearing him say that made her uneasy.
Life from now on… might not be so easy.
Franky hopped off the ship and relayed Don's request to Tom.
"I see," Tom said after a pause. "We still have leftover materials from the original cut. Building a training room shouldn't be too troublesome."
"I'll get on it right away!" Franky said, turning to go.
But Tom stopped him. The older shipwright had noticed that his student seemed more mature these past few days.
"Hold on, Franky."
Franky turned back, puzzled.
"Don invited me to join his Hunter Guild," Tom said. "What do you think?"
"Huh?" Franky froze, then smiled faintly. "Old man, that's your call. But honestly, it sounds pretty good."
He understood their situation well.
After what had happened, the World Government agents weren't going to stop coming after Tom.
Following a strong man like Don meant safety—at least for now.
"I see."
Tom waved him off. Franky nodded and got back to work.
Tom then looked up at the newly finished ship.
Her hull was long and sleek, her lines elegant.
Perhaps, like Roger's ship, she too would one day become famous across the seas.
He would love to see that.
A lifetime shipwright, Tom's dream was simple—to see a ship of his own creation sail into legend.
That was the dream of every craftsman with ambition.
"If he doesn't mind, then I'll accept," Tom murmured to himself.
Decision made.
Whether his apprentices would follow—he'd ask them later.
Meanwhile, at the Sabaody Archipelago.
In a bustling casino, Issho was finally enjoying himself.
With Mihawk's intimidating presence nearby, no one dared cheat—one swing of that sword and the entire casino would be gone.
Today, Issho's luck was exceptional.
Though gambling was his hobby, he neither used his powers nor his Haki to cheat—yet he kept winning.
But tonight, there was an unexpected guest.
Mihawk's sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on a man sitting at a nearby table
The Dark King himself, Silvers Rayleigh, former right-hand of the Pirate King.
That man… was here on Sabaody Archipelago?
Roger had been dead for over a decade. His crew had long since vanished, and the Navy had made no large-scale arrests.
Most believed they'd gone into hiding on some remote island.
Yet here was Rayleigh, right under the Navy's nose.
Rayleigh wasn't a Devil Fruit user—he was a swordsman.
Mihawk knew that well.
And that fact made his blood stir.
At the table, Rayleigh sighed inwardly.
After robbing the buyer who had tried to purchase him, he'd dropped by the casino for fun—only to find himself being watched.
By none other than Dracule Mihawk.
What a troublesome man, he thought.
And then, there was that other one…
Rayleigh's gaze lifted past the bridge of his glasses to the broad-shouldered figure across the table.
Even seated, the man radiated a quiet, overwhelming pressure.
"Da, da, da!"
Issho, eyes rolled back in concentration, shouted along with the other gamblers.
Truly a kindred spirit, Rayleigh mused.
No, perhaps even more of a gambler than I am.
When the dealer swept away the last of his chips, Rayleigh sighed.
"Lost again."
He stroked his chin, glanced at Mihawk, then stood up to leave.
As Mihawk rose to follow, Issho spoke without turning around:
"You planning to make your move here?"
Mihawk froze mid-step.
"The man's right there. Or are you afraid he'll slip away once he notices you?" Issho said evenly.
After a moment of thought, Mihawk sat back down.
Enel, who had been silently observing, frowned.
"We should head back soon. Who knows when Don will return."
"Yeah. Thirteen District's Shakedown Bar, right?" Issho replied, pocketing his chips.
Mihawk nodded.
"That guy from earlier… he was strong?" Enel asked curiously.
"Very strong," Mihawk said. "A legend, in fact."
That man was none other than Silvers Rayleigh—the Dark King.
When Rayleigh's name shook the seas, Mihawk had only just set sail.
Such a duel was one he couldn't possibly pass up.
A while later, Issho finally stood, satisfied.
He exchanged his winnings for a hefty pile of beli, then left the casino with Mihawk and Enel.
Only then did the casino staff breathe a collective sigh of relief.
END OF CHAPTER
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